OBJECTIVE: To assess the patterns of alcohol consumption in France and Northern Ireland.DESIGN: Four cross-sectional studies.SETTING: Sample of 50-59 y old men living in France and Northern Ireland, consuming at least one unit of alcoholic beverage per week.SUBJECTS: 5363 subjects from France and 1367 from Northern Ireland.INTERVENTIONS: None.RESULTS: Consumption of wine was higher in France whereas consumption of beer and spirits was higher in Northern Ireland. Alcohol drinking was rather homogeneous throughout the week in France, whereas Fridays and Saturdays accounted for 60% of total alcohol consumption in Northern Ireland. In both countries, current smokers had a higher consumption of all types of alcoholic beverages than non-smokers. Similarly, obese and hypertensive subjects had a higher total alcohol consumption than non-obese or normotensive subjects, but the type of alcoholic beverages differed between countries. In Northern Ireland, subjects which reported some physical activity consumed significantly less alcoholic beverages than sedentary subjects, whereas no differences were found in France. Conversely, subjects with dyslipidemia consumed more alcoholic beverages than normolipidemic subjects in France, whereas no differences were found in Northern Ireland. In France, total alcohol, wine and beer consumption was negatively related to socioeconomic status and educational level. In Northern Ireland, total alcohol, beer and spirits consumption was negatively related whereas wine consumption was positively related to socioeconomic status and educational level.CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol drinking patterns differ between France and Northern Ireland, and also according to cardiovascular risk factors, socioeconomic and educational levels.SPONSORSHIP: Merck, Sharp & Dohme-Chibret (France), the NICHSA and the Department of Health and Social Service (Northern Ireland).